ACT for PTSD: The Therapeutic Relationship
Booz Allen
Department of Veterans Affairs
Yale University
University of Nevada, Reno
Key Points
- The therapeutic relationship is heightened when working with trauma survivors.
- Building and maintaining a meaningful therapeutic connection comes with openness and transparency.
- As the therapist demonstrates that they can be trusted, clients will open up more to face the hardest things they’ve been avoiding.
Materials Downloads
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Transcript
Now, I’d like to give just a few last reminders about the therapeutic relationship and the ACT therapist’s role in treatment.
ACT has always placed great emphasis on the value of the therapeutic relationship. The ACT therapist’s role is that of coach, adviser, and witness, but not of expert or guru. The ACT model is crystal clear in its analysis that the issues that bring clients to psychotherapy are simply variants on the struggles that all humans face—and this includes therapists. The ACT therapist should thus face this work with humility, humanity, genuineness, and radical respect for the client’s values and experiences.
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Many therapists who are new to the ACT approach report that it’s a relief not to have to pretend to have all the answers in a session. Instead, the ACT therapist works along with the client to identify strategies for the way ahead based on the core ACT theoretical framework.
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.